We regularly get asked about the best brand new restaurants in Chicago, as well as about the all-time classics – and those categories are covered in our Hit List and Greatest Hits List.

But what about the places that get blown up for six months and then aren’t cool anymore as soon as everyone decides to move onto the new shiny thing? A lot of those places are still great. Let’s not allow them to become the N64 you stashed in your drawer when Playstation came out. We all remember how that went – the N64’s never went away because they’re still great, particularly Mario Kart.

With that in mind, we present The Cool List, featuring still-excellent restaurants that are no longer “hot,” but definitely still cool.

The spots

We’re often guilty of overlooking The Purple Pig. Maybe because it’s been around a while, maybe because they don’t take reservations, but most likely because it’s located on the Magnificent Mile and walking over there always seems like such a terrible idea. But it’s worth doing, because The Purple Pig serves great food and is always a lively spot. The extensive menu of small plates has something for everyone, but make sure to order at least one pig’s ear.

The hype machine decided Momotaro was the best restaurant ever before it opened. Then it opened, and shortly after nobody seemed to care it actually existed. Which is why we’re here to remind you about it: the Fulton Market Japanese restaurant is a fun, trendy place where you can eat both sushi and interesting bites like a tomato tartar that tastes exactly like steak. There’s also a basement izakaya that sneakily might be the best part of the whole operation.

New steakhouses keep opening at a record pace, and they are all some sort of twist on the classic. But Bavette’s was the first to do the revamped steakhouse thing a few years ago, and made an otherwise corporate concept feel exciting. The steaks and sides at Bavette’s are traditional steakhouse, but the atmosphere has the style and character of a cool cocktail bar.

Angry Crab might be up in West Ridge, but a Cajun-style crawfish boil is never a bad idea. It’s one of the only times we can say with confidence that wearing a bib is cool, and it will guarantee you have a great meal. Order a big bag of shellfish - make sure crawfish is involved - and be prepared to get covered in sauce while you eat delicious seafood.

Fulton Market and the West Loop continue to churn out new restaurants, so it’s easy to forget about the ones that have been around a few years. But don’t do that to La Sirena Clandestina. It’s intimate enough for date night, but fun enough that you can go with a couple of friends, and the Brazilian-inspired food is something a little different for a change.

We’re all in on trading the usual, stuffy French restaurant environment for the laid-back, rustic atmosphere at Maude’s Liquor Bar. It’s a much better vibe and still serves all the favorites you’d want with any French meal.

Osteria Langhe has quietly established itself as a really good Italian restaurant that sits nicely between trendy and casual. This place puts a lot of emphasis on its antipasti - which you should definitely go deep on, as well as a couple things from the pasta and entree portions of the menu. Don’t skip dessert.

Fact - if you pulled Vincent out of Andersonville and put it in River North, it would be the hottest date night restaurant in town. But one of the best parts about Vincent is the fact that it is in Andersonville, which makes it more approachable and casual (yet still date night worthy).